Rising Alpha

4

"Yeah, we have a mole. Jerry, the head over the East Coast agrees with that. We’re trying to figure out who it is.” He cuts his eyes at me as he pulls out of his driveway. "You could always challenge

him. I feel sorry for the woman that's getting mated to him. She's in for a world of hurt."

"No way in Hell." Been there and done that. "Being a leader is all behind me."

"That's bullshit and we both know it." He's speeding now on the backroads and moves his hand down to shift into the final gear. "No matter how hard you try to pretend, we both know you've got that drive. It'll come out eventually."

Oh, it came out all right when I was eighteen. The alpha of my childhood pack got hurt and died shortly after. It was a given that I would be the next in line since he was my father. Leading them for that year was amazing, but then some hot-shot beta from another pack decided he wanted to take over mine. The problem is, I was young and inexperienced; he beat me and rose to the top.

Right after, he began starving the wolves and taking anything of value as his own. When the wolves had had enough and backed me for a take-over, demanding he had to step down, he beat them all to a bloody pulp. My best friend's father was the one who spoke out the loudest and was killed on the spot. Let's say we weren't best friends after that. "There is no way in Hell I'll ever become an alpha again."

"Never say never." He glances at me from the corner of his eye.

"Can you be even more cliché?" That dumbass is trying to get under my skin. He does this when he's trying to make a point. He's a freaking pain in the ass most of the time, but he knows he's the one person I'll take it from.

"All I'm saying is you're destined to be an alpha." He turns the air conditioning on high and taps

his fingers on the wheel. "A pack like Kevin's could stand for someone to come in and take over."

"You know I had my chance." I make sure my voice is level. I don't want him to know how much it still bothers me. "And I failed."

"You've got to let that go, man." He shakes his head and lowers the visor as we take a curve, causing the sun to shine in our eyes. "You were a young pup and that bastard took advantage. Things would be different this time."

"Hell yeah it would be different because it ain't happening." I should have known better than to go to this thing with him. "Drop it or I'll run back to my car."

"Fine, dipshit. Be a baby." He rolls his eyes and slows down the car as we come to a sharp curve. "I'll stop for now, but I wish you'd find a pack and settle down."

Thank God. I might've jumped out the window while the car was moving if he didn't shut his trap. Glancing out the window, the trees thicken and we pass by a meadow filled with cows. "Hey, I'm part of yours so I have a home. Don't worry about me."

We come to a four-way stop and he slows the car. "You aren't fooling me. Yes, you're technically part of my pack, but only for safety reasons. You live alone and hardly come around."

"You know why." Letting people get close to me is not one of my strengths. After people were hurt for being loyal to me, I avoid relationships like the plague. John is the one that somehow broke through the barrier, but that's largely due to the war. The brothers-in-arms bond is like no other. "It's better that way." I roll down the window. I bet if I jumped I'd be fine. He's going about forty miles per hour right now.

"Roll the damn window up." He slows down as he turns right onto another road. "You're my date.

Don't make me tell them you got emotional and had to run away."

"Well, you didn't buy me any flowers." I fan my face with my hand and sniffle. "Obviously, you didn't put forth any effort."

The road turns to gravel and soon rocks are spinning out of the tires. John growls as he shifts down the car. "If my car gets damaged, Kevin's going to have to pay for it to get fixed."

"Why didn't we take my truck?" The dumbass is going to mess up his car bringing it here.

"I had no clue it would be like this." He smacks his hands against the wheel. "Like I said, I don't like the guy. I've never been out here before now."

We continue in a cloud of dirt that rises up from the gravel. Soon the smell of steaks grilling fills the air. At least we should get a decent meal and maybe some scotch.

Driving into the subdivision, the first few houses come into view. They're wood cabins, but they look worse for wear. The wood is bowed and the roof of one is beginning to tilt.

"Holy s**t. You weren't kidding." This is such a stark contrast to the homes of John's pack which are mostly new and immaculate. He even gets out there and helps the women whose mates are away or widowed.

"Yeah, he's a prick." He's driving slower now that other shifters are out and heading in the same direction we're driving. "People like him shouldn't be alpha."

After passing several more houses, the road opens up to a large, well-kept cabin. It has a huge back yard that meets a thick tree line. The yard contains a canopy and little lights strung all around. There are several folded chairs and some daisies that are tied to the chairs on the inside aisle where the bride will march. Other than that, there is a knife in front for the blood bond that will mate them even though they aren't fated. That's the only time when a blood sacrifice needs to be made, when you're mating someone who isn't your soulmate. It forces the bond, but it's only a fraction of what a true bond can be.

"Wow, he went all out for her, didn't he?" The flowers are more insulting than anything else.

"Like I said, I wish someone would either take over the pack or take this guy out." John's tone is tense. "It'd be me if I weren't a freaking representative."

Footsteps coming out of the thick tree line make my head turn. A tall stout man walks out with a cocky smirk on his face. His eyes fill with power and lust as he stares down at the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.

It's almost as if the world stops moving as I take in her long, dark hair. She's the perfect height for me, just two or three inches shorter, and her dark hazel eyes find mine. Her scent of vanilla drives me wild.